Inability to work following COVID-19 vaccination-a relevant aspect for future booster vaccinations

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health
• Occupational Health

Background:

• COVID-19 vaccination is crucial for controlling SARS-CoV-2.
• Healthcare worker (HCW) vaccine-related sick leave poses a risk to healthcare systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze sick leave and medication use post-COVID-19 vaccination in HCWs.
• To compare sick leave patterns after first, second, and third vaccine doses.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study (CoVacSer) involving 1704 HCWs.
• Data collected via electronic questionnaires on sick leave and medication.
• Analysis of sick leave following BNT162b2mRNA and mRNA-1273 vaccines.

Main Results:

• 34.9% of HCWs experienced sick leave after at least one vaccination, totaling 1550 sick days.
• Sick leave duration and frequency increased with each successive vaccination.
• mRNA-1273 resulted in significantly longer and more frequent sick leave after the third dose compared to BNT162b2mRNA.

Conclusions:

• Booster vaccinations may lead to staff shortages, impacting healthcare system capacity and patient care.
• Findings can inform vaccination strategies to mitigate workforce disruptions.
• Proactive planning is needed to manage post-vaccination absences during future COVID-19 waves.